The White House wants to cut funding for the project that delivers Colorado River water to millions on the Wasatch Front — but no one will say what those cuts would entail. Tucked 28 pages into President Donald Trump’s budget recommendations for next year, released May 2, was a proposed funding cut to the Central Utah Project to the tune of $609 million. Congress must approve the final budget. The Central Utah Project is “the largest and most complex water resources development project” in the state, according to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. The project is a complicated system of reservoirs and pipelines that bring water from the Colorado River system to the Wasatch Front for irrigation, municipal and industrial uses, supporting the region’s rapid growth. It also provides opportunities for recreation, water conservation and fish and wildlife protection.

Other Colorado River Basin news:

• The Colorado Sun (Denver): Colorado lawmakers OK $67M for water programs, cut tax break for free sports bets
• Gephardt Daily (Sandy, Utah): Vernal students help raise, release nearly 140 endangered fish to Colorado River​
• Audubon: Blog: Investments in water resilience helps stretch existing supplies